Kindergarten Preparedness

With kindergarten preparedness, you can assess when your child is ready to go to school, and when they're not ready. There are some milestones for you to look for to make sure your child is ready to start school. If you don't see these milestones, it might be best to keep your child home or in preschool for another year.

Academic Expectations

Your child will be expected to be ready to take on academic challenges in kindergarten, so they need to be ready to learn. Here's what your child needs to know before they start school.

• Your child should be able to speak clearly and recognize rhyming words
• They should be able to recognize sizes and positions, such as under, up, big
• They should be able to dress themselves using buttons and zippers
• Your child should be able to draw or copy basic shapes
• They should be able to converse in complete sentences
• They should be able to recognize letter sounds and letters of the alphabet
• Your child should be able to sort object by their color, shape, or size
• They should recognize groups of object, and be able to count to 10
• They should recognize their first and last name, and be able to write their first name
• They should be able to use simple school tools, like paste, clay, paint, crayons, and scissors
• Your child should be able to draw rather than make scribbles.

Emotional Expectations

Your child has to be ready emotionally to leave home and attend class. Your child should master these behaviors before they start kindergarten.

• Your child should be able to leave you without crying excessively
• They should be able to go to the bathroom by themselves
• They should be able to talk about their needs and wants
• Your child should be able to sit through a story reading quietly
• They should be able to be independent for short periods
• They should be able to make easy choices
• They should recognize and respect authority figures.

Social Expectations

Before your child enters kindergarten, they have to react well to social situations. Here are some expectations for your child socially.

• Your child should know to treat others respectfully
• They should respect others' property
• They should know how to share and take turns
• Your child should finish a chore after it's started
• Your child should be able to follow easy instructions
• They should be able to pay attention to short-term tasks directed by adults.

If your child meets these qualities, your kindergarten preparedness is complete, and your child is ready to experience the adventure of education.